Electric railway



(No Model.)

R. M. HUNTER. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Patented May 5, 1891.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE THOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,692, dated May 5,1891.

Original application filed April Z8, 1838, Serial No. 200,400. Dividedand this application filed February 25, 1889-v Seriul No. 301,139. (Nomodel.)

T CLU wwm/ 75 Hwy @0N/067%. the slot, and conductors should all becoupled 5o Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, together. This isnecessary, since, as the cars of the city' and county of Philadelphia,and come end onto the switches, any one of which State of Pennsylvania,have invented an Imswitches beingmisplaced would cause abreakprovenientin ElectricrRailways, (Case 85,) of age. 3y coupling them together thecar canwhich the following is a specification. not go farther wrong thanrunning on the My invention has reference to electric railbranch when itshould continue on mainline, ways; andit consists incertainimprovements, or vice versa. all of which are fully set forth inthe follow- My object is also to combine the switches 1o ing specicationand shown in the accomwith electric signals and derived circuits inpanying drawings, which form part thereof. such a manner that when abranch or main 6o This application (Case 85) is a division of line isclosed the signal is automatically dismy application, Serial No.200,400, filed April played. These signals may be red lights or 23,1386. semaphores, or both combined. They would 15 My invention has forits obj ect the provisreceive their electrical motive power from the ionof asystem of switches suitable for a main generating or home station,but must be conline of an electric railway, combined with sidtrclled bythe movement ot the switch. ings and outgoing and incoming` branches,all My object is further to provide an electric of which maybe used atone and the Sametime railway with an underground slotted conduit 2o orat different times. These switches are so and insulated baredworking-conductors loarranged that the brushes or collectors of thecated therein, and removable doors or covers 7o motors or cars arepositively guided from one forming part of the slot are arranged atinset of conductors to another, and may be colntervals for an entranceto the conduit, and

bined with suitable switches for the tracks through which a carriage forassisting in re- 2 5 and slots, whereby not only is the vehicle pairingthe conductors may be inserted and guided in the proper direction, butthe colremoved, as also for removing any broken lector and the brushesare also positively parts of the collecting devices of the motors,insured to travel in the right slot and conand, it desired, thecleaning-wells may be loduit. In the case of the siding, when the catedunder said doors, as shown.

3o switch is open one conductor is supplied with The foregoing ar'ebrief enuinerations ot positive and the other with negative current; theessential points involved in this specitica- 8o but once on the sidingand the switch closed tion, and I will now describe the accompanybothconductors supply similar currents, and ing drawings, in whichthe motoris securely prevented from accivFigurelisaplan viewshowingthemain-line 35 dentally forcing its way onto the main track siding and incoming andoutgoing branchesagain. Before it can be run off the switch of anelectric railway. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are S5 must be turned. In the caseof the incoming enlarged plan views illustrating the switches branch, orwhena ca r is coming into the main shown in Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a planview of `a 'line in a direction opposite to that in which switch in theworking-conductors, combined 4o the cars are normally traveling on saidmain with electric signal devices to indicate line, the .switchesareprovided with springs, whether the branch or line is open. Fig. G gowhereby, while a car from the branch track is a cross-section of theconduit on line :n 0c may run onto the main line, pushing open of Fig.7. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on the switches, the cars from themain line canline y 'y of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a plan view of 45 notrun upon the branch'track. The conthe conduit.

ductor-switch and slot-switch may be coupled Referring to Fig. 1, I havethe conductors together or the slot and rail switches alone A B,combined with switches T and the sidinay be coupled together. In thecase of the ing 1 and branches 2 and 3. The ends of the outgoing branch,the switches for the rails, working-conductors in the conduit at thebranching points are stationary, but may have a movable section orswitch as a guide, though this is not necessary. When such switch isused,it may be simply a guide or be provided with conductors on itssides, which ina v,in a general sense, be considered continuations ofthe workiiig-conductors. The direction of the arrows indicates thedirection of travel ot the motors under normal working, and therefore onthe saine electric railway provision must be made for all of theseconditions.

Referring to Fig. 2, I have an enlarged plan view of the connection otsiding l and branch 2 with the main line. The sidingswitch T iselectrically connected with the conductor I3 of the siding, and theconductor A is electrically connected with the conductor A of the line.Then the siding is closed,its conductors A and B are of like polarity;but when open, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. I, they are ofdifferent polarity, and a car or motor may be run upon the siding. Assoon as the switch is closed, it will be impossible for the operator orany one else, either accidentally or maliciously, to run the cai' backonto the line by operating the keys or switches on the motor. The switchot the siding-conductors may be connected to the rail-switch IT by crankand links it', and also with the slot-switch U2 by similar devices u, sothat the collectors depending from the carthrough the slotf may becaused to pass in the proper direction. It desired, the switch T may becoupled with the slotswitch U2 alone, but I prefer all three to becoupled together wherever the ear is to meet the switch-point on, or, inother words, approach the point of the switch. In the case of the branch2, from which the cars run onto the main line, (but not from the mainline onto the branch,) the switch T is made substantially as shown inFig. l, and provided with a spring t to keep it normally closed, so thatit shall offer no obstruction to the cars on the main line, and yetshall `freely give way to allow ot' the collectors from the branchpassing into the main-line conduit when a ear is running from branch tomain line. In this case, also, the slots ai'c provided with a switch U2,which may be connected to the rail-switch U by line it, and the two maybe operated by a spring t to keep the main line open, or the switches U2and U may be separate and the switches T and U2 connected; but the iirstconstruction-such as shown in Fig. Q-is probably the most satisfactory.The slotswitches would be constructed substantially like those in use ona cable railway, in which the end oi point rests upon the conduitseither above the slot or in a support immediately below it. The springsttwould tend to force the collectors snugly against the continuousconductor, and this would be of particular use if, in the case of branch3, the switch U2, Fig. 3, were provided with a spring, as shown in Fig.2, as then the collectors would be forced against the conductorA,whichis contin nous.

It is ol' course advisable to have the railswitch somewhat in advance ofthe branching point in the conduit-slot as a guide to insure the propertravel ot' the car and its collectors, and the rail and slot switcheswould be in advanee of the branchingpoint of the workingconductors.

The construction of the switches at outgoing branch 3 is in all materialrcspectsthe same as at the siding, except the electrical connection ofthe switch T, which should be like Fig. 4, in which the switch isprovided with conductors T on its sides connected, respectively, withthe corresponding conductors A'andB ot theline and branch. The hingedconnections ot the conductor-switclies may be had access to through handor man holes U", having removable covers, and similar passageways may bemade to the lower parts ot'the rail and slot switches to keep theconnections in proper repair, as shown in Fig. 2.

A B and A2 il? represent the line-conductors, and A B vhe branchconductor. It desired, these switches may be without conductors. Theends of the conductors A li may be secured to astandard or support, asshown in Fig. 5, and to this the independent movable switch-sectionmaybe supported by a hinged connection.

.I .l are the two collectors or brushes, Fig. T, which project throughthe slot f ot the conduit F and take the current from the baredworking-concluctors A I3. These brushes .l project down into the conduitF through the slotf and make a sliding connection with the conductors Al5. The brushes .I are carried by a frame J2, which is to be supportedby the car, and are insulated by insulation J.

The conduit F is shown ot' metal, but may be made in any suitablemanner. It is provided at intervals with doors F2 opening into theinterior upon one or both sides, and also opening into the slot, saiddoors forming part ot' the slot. Through these doors thecollectorbruslies may be inserted or withdrawn or examined for repairs.The conductors A B may be examined and connections made for testingpurposes and also for i'einoving dirt and rubbish which may be collectedbelow them or in the drainage-wells F', arranged below them and openingfrom the bottom of the conduit. These drainage-wells may have perforatedbottoms to allow the water to drain off, if desired. The doors F2 arealso useful when repairing the conductors A B or inserting newconductors, and likewise for inserting and removing the supporting-toolsand carriages used in making such repairs to th'e conductors. The doorsF2 are shown as hinged; but I do not limit myself to any particularconnection of said doors or covers with the conduit.

\Vhile I prefer the construction set out, I do not limit myself to thedetails thereof, as they may be modified in various ways with- IOO IIO

IIS

out departing from the spirit. of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A railway-track, a main-line conductor extending along said track, abranch track, a branch conductor extending along said branch track andconveying` current of same polarity as main-line conductor, anelectrical connection between the main-line and branch conductors,whereby the branch conductor receives current from the main-lineconductor, and a switch between the main-line and branch conductors.

2. A railway-track, a main-line conductor extending along said track, abranch track, a branch conductor extending along saidbranch track, anelectrical connection between the main-line and branch conductors, and aswitch between the main-line andbranch conductors and electricallyconnected with them.

8. A railway-track, a main-line conductor extending along said track, abranch track, a branch conductor extending along said branch track, anelectrical connection between the inailrline and branch conductors, aswitch between the main-line and branch conductors and electricallyconnected with them, and electrically-actuated signals operated by themovement of the switch to indicate its position.

4:. A railway-track, a main-line conductor extending along said track, abranch track, a branch conductor extending alon g said branch track, anelectric connection between the main line and branch conductors, and atapering switch between the main-line and branch conductors. ff'

5. A railway-track, a main-line conductor extending along said track, abranch track, a branch conductor extending along saidbranch track, anelectrical connection between the main-line and branch conductors, aswitch between the main-line and branch conductors, slotted conduitsinclosing said main and branch conductors, and 'a covered passagewayleading from the surface of the railway to the pivot of the switch.

` G. The vcombination ot a main track, a siding-track, a positive andnegative conductor for the main track, two conductors for thesiding-track, one of which is in connection with one of the main-lineconductors, and a switch for connecting the other siding-conductor witheither the positive or negative main-line conductor.

7. The combination of a main track,a siding-track, a' positive andnegative line-conductor for the main track, two conductors for thesiding-track, one of which is in connection with one of the main-lineconductors and a switch for connecting the other siding-conductor witheither the positive or negative main-line conductor, a track-switch, anda connection between the track and conductor switch whereby both operatesimultaneously.

S. The combination of a main-line track and a branch track, a workingconductor for each track, and a source of electric supply common to bothconductors.

9. The combination of a mainline track and its conductor, a source ot'kelectric supply to said conductor, a branch track and its conductor at adistance from said source of electric supply, and an electricalconnection between the main-line conductor and branch

